Homer on a Spanish coin? Euro taking the peso

WE’VE all felt that the value of the euro can be a bit of a joke in these early days of recession, but to put the face of Homer Simpson on the Spanish coin is really taking the peso, for want of an obviously better word.

The €1 coin bearing the likeness of Homer Simpson instead of Spanish king Juan Carlos should have been found in a doughnut shop, but a sweet shop is just as fitting, after all wasn’t it the immortal Mr Simpson who uttered the equally immortal lines — “blue M&Ms, red M&Ms, they all wind up the same colour in the end”.

“The coin must have been done by a professional, the work is impressive,” said shop owner Jose Martinez “I’ve been offered 20 for it.” But, as no other coins bearing the likeness of Simpson have been found in circulation, the value of the Homeric wampum is sure to rise faster than the bubbles in a bottle of Duff. Fans of the Simpson family will be eagerly awaiting the likely arrival of the laughable lucre on eBay for, after all, as Homer once observed “they have the internet on computers now”.

Thousands of bids for the doctored coin have been sent to the sweet shop in northern Spain from Simpsons fans as far away as the Netherlands, Japan, Canada and the US. But, for now at least, the shopkeeper plans to keep the collector’s item for himself.

Defacing a coin, even one with the image of the good King Juan, is an offence across Europe. If the culprit is ever found well, he or she could face the wrath of the authorities about which, under different circumstances Homer once said — “Oh, yeah, what are you gonna do? Release the dogs? Or the bees? Or the dogs with bees in their mouth and when they bark, they shoot bees at you?”

Picture shows shop owner Jose Martinez with his Homer Simpson coin.